Houdini manages to stop retching, but then he looks at the door and starts whining pitifully.
My father approaches with the leash in his hand. “I’ll take him out.” He has already put on his coat, so I hook the leash on Houdini’s collar and hand him the looped end. “Thanks, Dad.”
A few minutes later, Dad comes back in with Houdini. Both are covered in snow and Houdini is quivering all over. “Where’s the nearest vet clinic?” Dad asks, his expression tense.
“What happened?”
“He threw up several times.”
I tense with worry. “Oh God, what if the mistletoe poisoned him?”
Ethan squats and rubs Houdini’s snout, then stands and clasps my hand. “He’s not a happy camper right now, that’s for sure.”
I move to get my coat off the rack, but my dad shakes his head. “The storm has gotten worse, Nari. I could barely see three feet in front of me out there. I’ll drive him. Just tell me where an emergency clinic is that’ll be open on Christmas Eve.”
“It’s that bad out there?” Aunt Sage asks.
“I know where a clinic is,” Mom says, grabbing her coat. “I pass it every day on the way to work. I’ll take you or you’ll never find it.”
My attention darts between my parents, thoughts of them fighting while they try to deal with Houdini pinging through my head. “I can take him, Mom.”
“You’re not driving in this, Inara.” She quickly wraps her scarf around her neck, then waves dismissively. “Houdini will be fine.”
My dad looks at his sister. “You might want to leave now too before the roads become impassable. You can’t get stuck here with three dogs waiting for you at home. I’ll catch a cab once we get back.”
Nodding her agreement, Aunt Sage hugs me goodbye, then puts on her boots and coat.
My father gives Ethan a pointed look. “You should leave now too.”
Gran puckers her lips as if she’s eaten something sour. “The boy hasn’t had a chance to exchange presents with Nara yet, Jonathan.”
My dad frowns. “He might get stuck here if he doesn’t leave now—”
“I can walk home if I need to,” Ethan says, squeezing my hand.
“What am I? Chopped suey?” Gran says, pointing to herself. “I’m a better watch dog than Houdini. He does whatever Ethan tells him.”
When my dad’s face hardens even more at Gran’s last comment, Mom cuts in, her tone final. “You can stay and exchange gifts with Nara, Ethan. No one’s rushing you out.”
“Go take care of the pooch.” Gran waves my parents on. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. That plant was in his mouth less than a minute. It’s probably all the pot roast I fed him under the table. It was a bit tough on my dentures.”
“But you asked for seconds,” Mom says, looking incredulous.
Gran shrugs. “Houdini seemed to enjoy it.”
When Mom sighs and shakes her head, Gran pats her arm. “The cooking lessons aren’t a bad idea, dear. If I tried to teach you, everything would have rum in it.”
Once my parents leave with Houdini, Aunt Sage wishes Gran a Merry Christmas and hugs her goodnight. Turning to me, my aunt pulls me into a tight hug, then glances at Ethan. “Thank you for the gift.”
He shakes his head, nodding toward me. “It was from Nara.”
She just smiles and says, “Mmmm, hmmm.”
The second the door shuts behind my aunt, Gran does a little hop, then makes a bee-line straight for the bag Aunt Sage left by the couch.
When she withdraws an envelope and starts to pull open the tucked in flap, I say, “You can’t open that, Gran. And what’s with torturing Mom and Dad over the presents?”
“I got tired of watching them be polite to each other all through dinner. It was like watching two eggs roll into each other over and over. When neither cracked, I decided to crank up the heat and poach their brains.”
She shrugs, unrepentant, then looks down at the envelope, folding the flap all the way back. “Don’t you want to know what your father brought for your mother? I’m not getting any younger. Gotta get my kicks while I still can.” She reads the contents, then looks up, her green eyes glittering with emotional mist.
“What does it say?” I ask, my stomach tensing in anticipation.
She lifts the paperwork and reads the card on the front. “For all the anniversaries I missed. I hope this trip gives us plenty of time to catch up. I love you, Elizabeth. I never stopped thinking about you and missing us. Not once.” Gran waves the envelope in the air. “It’s a voucher for a month long trip cruising around the world. How amazing is that?”
“Beats cooking lessons,” Ethan says quietly, smiling.
“He’d better have his excuse for leaving rehearsed to the nth degree,” Gran mutters. Putting the envelope back together, she slides it into the bag the way she found it. “Goodnight, you two.” Waving, she turns toward the stairs.
I gape. “Where are you going?”
“To bed. I’m old. Who expects me to stay up past nine? I would tell you two to be good, but what’s the fun in that?” Winking, she walks upstairs, a wicked cackle floating behind her.
“Your Gran is awesome.” Ethan chuckles and clasps my hand. “Thanks for delivering.”
“On what?”
Tugging me close, he drops a kiss on my nose. “A very entertaining evening.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. My stomach’s been tied in knots. Do you think Houdini is going to be okay? I would feel so awful if the mistletoe is what made him sick.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s from overeating. Your dad didn’t mention anything else when he went out, and I didn’t sense any confusion in him, which I would have if he’d been poisoned.”
I nod and tug him over to the couch. “Sit here. I’m going to get your present. It was too big to fit under the tree...or to wrap properly.”
His eyes light up. “Too big, huh?”
“Close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you to, okay?”
He closes his eyes and murmurs, “What could possibly be too big to wrap?”
I go to the hall closet and get Ethan’s gift, then lightly set it in his lap and say, “Okay.” His hands intuitively grip the acoustic guitar before his eyes open. The look of love and appreciation he gives me is worth the money I spent on his gift. “I wanted a rosewood Martin for you, and a new one’s a bit out of my price range. This one has only had one owner, so—”
“You always know how to knock me in the gut. It’s perfect. Thank you, Nara,” he says, quietly.
“I’m not done. I’m making up for missing your birthday.” I retrieve his other gift from under the tree. Handing it to him, I grin. “This one, I could wrap.”
Ethan leans the guitar against the couch, then tears off the wrapping paper. As he holds up the leather bound book with blank pages, I tap on the spine. “This book is only for drawings that make you happy. No demons or dark, nightmare images allowed. This is for ones to keep.”
Ethan rubs his thumb along the spine, his gaze subdued and sincere. “Thank you for accepting every part of me, Sunshine.”
“I love you, Ethan. Every glorious, beautiful side of you.” Smiling, I run my fingertips along the strings on the guitar. “Maybe one day you can teach me how to play.”
His fingers fold over mine on the guitar’s neck, a playful look in his eyes. “How about a short lesson now?”
I don’t even get to answer before he pulls me between his legs and lifts the guitar, settling it on my thighs.
After he fiddles with the strings, tuning them quietly for a minute, he folds my fingers, placing them on certain strings, then shows me how to strum. “Okay, now you do it by yourself.”
I strum my finger down the strings and the soft sound floats around us.
“That’s a G,” he whispers in my ear. “Stands for, God, I love you more every day.”
Goose bumps scatter across my skin when he switches my finger placement and tells me to strum the str
ings again. “That’s a B, for Be Mine.”
My heart races as his strong arms surround me to manipulate my fingers once more. Putting his hand over mine, we strum the next chord together. “And an F.” He runs his nose along my neck until his mouth touches my ear. “That represents Forever, Sunshine.”
When he kisses my cheek, my fingers grip the guitar, but as his mouth moves to my jaw, my heart melts and I whisper, “Together ‘til the wheels fall off.”
Ethan’s arm cinches tight around my waist and he gently tugs my chin to press his mouth to mine. I don’t even remember releasing the guitar, but Ethan turns me to gain better access to my mouth, pressing me deeper into the couch. I start to reach around his ribcage to pull him closer when my hand hits something wet.
I pull back. A smear of blood coats my palm. “Oh, God. Ethan you’re hurt.” He glances down when I tug his sweater up to inspect his wound. “That looks like a cut,” I hiss angrily in a low voice, then push his shoulder so I can get up.
He clasps my hand. “I’ll be fine, Nara. It’ll be healed in a couple of days.”
I frown and tug him to his feet. “You didn’t say anything about being sliced up.”
Ethan shrugs like it’s no big deal, but he lets me tug him into the bathroom anyway.
I set the medical kit on the counter and mutter about having to replenish the supplies before Mom gets suspicious. Ethan shuts the bathroom door, then reaches behind his neck to tug his sweater off over his head.
It’s hard not to stare at his ripped body in the mirror. He drops his sweater on the closed toilet, his reflection grinning at me. “This is cozy.”
“Switch places with me and put your hands on the counter,” I say, refusing to be drawn in by his suggestive smile.
Ethan sighs and we side-shuffle in the small space until he’s in front of the sink and I’m by the door.
Once he does as I ask, I can see the wound on his side much better. It’s not as bad as I first thought. The scab that had started to form had broken and is oozing. Ethan’s back muscles and biceps flex while I apply alcohol and an antibiotic salve, then tape a couple squares of gauze over his wound.
“All good?” he says, sounding like he’s ready to be done.
I frown at him. “Stay put for a minute and let me see if there are others that you don’t know about.”
“You won’t be happy until you’ve checked.” Spreading his hands flat on the counter, he holds still so I can inspect.
I lean over and start scanning the left side of his back from his shoulder to his hip. A couple of bruises show under his skin, but nothing ominous looking. Sliding my focus across his lower back, past the sword’s blade, my line of sight traces the muscles covering his ribs with serious scrutiny. I pause on a semi-round reddish spot with a wavy design. It looks familiar, and I touch his skin, trying to place the pattern.
Ethan flexes under my touch but doesn’t move or lift his head. The realization hits me like a kick in the gut…Actually, like a kick delivered by a soccer shoe. That’s the pattern my brain just placed. I close my eyes and try not to cry. It hurts so much to think about him being a constant target. To think of him being cut, kicked or beaten. I know this is his reality, but seeing the physical results really hits home and tears my heart in two. It’s like his dreams have finally come to life. How freaking unfair is that?
Exhaling through my nose to calm my inner anger, I continue to slide my gaze up his back and my eyes stutter on the Corvus symbol at the top of his sword just under the handle. It’s the raven yin-yang design I’ve seen many times, but this time something is different on the white raven’s wing.
I hold my breath and step closer until my chest touches his back, then squint at the symbol because I think my eyes are playing tricks on me. But they’re not.
“Oh, Ethan…” I whisper.
“What?” He jerks his head up, a cocky, devil-may-care smile on his face. “Another wound I didn’t know about?”
I shake my head and stare at the one word written in a fancy script. “When did you get my name tattooed on the white raven?”
Ethan stills and a serious expression settles on his face. “You will always be my light, Nara. The other half of me.” Vulnerability briefly flashes in his eyes. “Do you like it?”
It makes me sad that he sees himself as fully dark, but I adore that he sees me as his other half. “I love it,” I say, then reach up and trace my fingers on my name along the white raven’s wing.
Ethan drops his head and shudders, then groans out my name in a warning tone.
“What?”
His hands curl into fists on the counter. “You need to stop or I won’t apologize for what happens between us in this shoebox of a bathroom.”
“But I’m just touching one small part.” I tease lightly, still surprised how much my touch on his tattoo affects him.
His head snaps up and his darkened gaze narrows, locking with mine in the mirror. “You’re lighting a match, Nara.”
The full force of his burning stare sends heat roaring through me, making me want to see what happens when he loses even a tiny bit of control.
I bite my lip and slowly slide my finger down the black raven’s wing this time.
Chapter Fifteen
Nara
Before my finger reaches the bottom of the black raven’s wing, my back’s against the door, and Ethan’s chest is pressed to mine. Setting his hands flat against the door above my head, Ethan looks down at me, raw intensity shimmering in his eyes. “Last chance to call it quits.”
His heart thumps hard against mine, making my pulse jump even more. I slide my arms around his neck and pull his mouth close to mine, whispering against his lips, “What fun is that?”
Ethan’s mouth crushes mine, and I accept the hard press of his lips with fervor. His hands slide to my butt, gripping tight, and he steps between my legs, pressing his hardness intimately against me. Thrilled, I dig my fingers into his hair and swallow my moan of pleasure that rushes to the surface, keeping it locked inside where I can savor the vibration running through me. Tangling my tongue with his, I suck his bottom lip between mine, then slowly pull back, nipping his lip before I come back for more.
I feel the suppressed rumble in his chest a split second before he breaks our kiss and grips the bottom of my sweater. He yanks it over my head in one swift movement, and I’m lifted in his arms before the sweater hits the floor. We fall against the door once more completely lost in each other.
Excitement zips through me, the heat between us burning hotter than it ever has before. I wrap my legs tight around his hips, then let out a quiet gasp of delight when he rolls his hips and a jolt of desire radiates from my center, splintering all the way to my toes and fingertips. I flatten my palms over his broad shoulders and start to slide them down his back, wanting to explore all of his warm skin.
“Don’t touch my tattoo,” he says in a low warning against my jaw.
“But you just let me. Twice.”
“That’s about all I can handle right now.” He swallows and shakes his head, his body vibrating under me. “It’s so freaking intense, Nara. I can’t describe it. One day, I’ll let you have at it and hope to hell I don’t have a heart attack.”
He sounds so on edge, I cup his face to calm him and whisper, “I love that you added my name to your tattoo. Does that make me a Corvus by proxy now?”
A quick laugh rumbles, and he dips his head to press his lips to the curve of my breast above my bra. When his eyes snap back to mine, blue and black swirl in the depths. “It makes you everything to me.”
Emotion clogs my throat and I blink back tears, worrying what the future holds once he finally accepts that he’s the Master Corvus. “You are my rock, my solid foundation, my home. No matter what happens, you always will be.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me,” he rasps against my jaw before nipping at my earlobe. His strong hands grip my hips and he settles my body right where he wants me. Rocking into me,
he moves slow and purposefully, setting a seductive pace.
My breathing elevates to the arousing rhythm building between us. “Promise?” I pant in his ear, my desire spiraling.
“I’ve come too far to lose the one thing in my life that matters by something as lame as dying.”
I’m so on edge, I’m going to fly apart any second, but I need to hear him say everything will be okay. I fist a hand in his hair and tug slightly, hissing, “Promise me, Ethan.”
“Damn, you jack me up.” His fingers dig into my rear and he surges against me. Adding just the right amount of blissful pressure, he groans in my ear, “Cross my heart, Sunshine.”
I grip him tight and cry out his name against his neck. Quivering all over, I absorb the waves of euphoria rolling through me. While my body trembles, Ethan murmurs his love along my jaw and we slide sideways, apparently hitting the light switch.
The tiny room douses in complete darkness, at least for a split second until our eyes adjust. Then a glowing light partially illuminates the room. Just when I vaguely wonder if Mom added a glowing Christmas plug-in to the bathroom, Ethan quickly sets me down, and the room goes dark once more.
“Did you see that?”
He sounds so freaked out, I start to reach for the light switch, but he says, “Don’t turn on the light.”
“Why?”
“Just wait.”
We stand there in the bathroom, breathing heavily for a couple of seconds. Finally I say, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“I think it’d be better if I showed you.”
“Okaaaay.” Why is he acting so weird? “Wouldn’t that be easier with the light on?”
“Move in front of me,” he says, sounding calmer, assured.
“I am in front of you.”
“No, stand in front of me facing the mirror.”
I move in front of him. “What am I supposed to see in the dark?”
“Watch,” he says right before he folds his hand over my right shoulder.
“What are you seeing that I can’t?”
Desire Page 16
